The present invention relates to a receptacle connector, and more particularly, to a receptacle connector which can be fitted to any of a plug connector having a first fitting section and another plug connector having a second fitting section of a shape different from the shape of the first fitting section along the same fitting axis.
The present invention also relates to a plug connector that is fitted to the receptacle connector.
The present invention also relates to a connector assembly comprising the receptacle connector and the plug connector.
In recent years, with a decrease in size and an increase in density of electronic devices such as portable devices and information devices, there is a demand for a decrease in size of a connector used to send and receive signals and power to and from external apparatuses. In addition, a standardized connector such as a micro universal serial bus (μUSB) is widely used to secure connection compatibility.
In such an electronic device, when sending and receiving of signals and power are needed using means other than the RUSB for the purpose of function enhancement and the like, it is necessary to equip an electronic device with a non-USB small connector in addition to a USB connector.
However, mounting of two connectors requires a large mounting space and the number of components increases, thereby increasing costs.
Therefore, there is a need for equipping an electronic device with a receptacle connector that can be fitted to both a USB plug connector and a non-USB plug connector.
As such a receptacle connector having connection compatibility with two types of plug connectors, for example, a receptacle connector 1 illustrated in FIG. 23 is disclosed in JP 2008-301492 A.
The receptacle connector 1 has a structure in which a receptacle contact array 4 for a universal serial bus (USB) and a non-USB receptacle contact array 5 are held at different heights in an insulator 3 surrounded with a shell 2. Each of plural contacts constituting the USB receptacle contact array 4 has a contact portion 7 that extends in a direction of a fitting axis L of the receptacle connector 1 and that is exposed to a plug-receiving space 6 formed in the shell 2. Similarly, each of plural contacts constituting the non-USB receptacle contact array 5 has a contact portion 8 that extends in the direction of the fitting axis L of the receptacle connector 1 and that is exposed to the plug-receiving space 6. The contact portions 7 of the contacts of the USB receptacle contact array 4 and the contact portions 8 of the contacts of the non-USB receptacle contact array 5 are located at different positions in the direction of the fitting axis L and face to the same direction, that is, to the lower side in FIG. 23.
When a fitting section of a USB plug connector is inserted into the plug-receiving space 6 of the receptacle connector 1, contact portions of plural plug contacts of the plug connector come in contact with the contact portions 7 of the corresponding contacts of the USB receptacle contact array 4 and thus the USB plug connector is connected to the receptacle connector 1. On the other hand, when a fitting section of a non-USB plug connector is inserted into the plug-receiving space 6, contact portions of plural plug contacts of the plug connector come in contact with the contact portions 8 of the corresponding contacts of the non-USB receptacle contact array 5 and thus the non-USEB plug connector is connected to the receptacle connector 1.
In this way, the receptacle connector 1 can be fitted to any of the USB plug connector and a non-USB plug connector.
However, in the receptacle connector 1 disclosed in JP 2008-301492 A, by arranging the contact portions 7 of the contacts of the USB receptacle contact array 4 and the contact portions 8 of the contacts of the non-USB receptacle contact array 5 at different positions in the direction of the fitting axis L so as to face the same side, connection compatibility between the USB plug connector and the non-USB plug connector is secured. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the length of the receptacle connector 1 in the direction of the fitting axis L has to increase.
Particularly, in recent portable devices and information devices, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 24, a receptacle connector 9 is often installed outside a display screen 10 with a fitting axis L set to be parallel to the display screen 10 in order to achieve a decrease in thickness and an increase in size of the display screen, and thus there is a need for a receptacle connector having a small length in the direction of the fitting axis L.